The first writing
systems were developed to record not words but numbers. How much wheat do we
have? How much wheat do we need to get through the winter? So the words we use
for math, of course, have many uses. Here is a quick look at many of those
words.
Let's start by looking at how to
read simple mathematical equations in English.
1 + 1 = 2
|
One plus one equals
two.
One and one make/are two.
Add one and one and you have two.
|
10 − 5 = 5
|
Ten minus five
equals five.
Five subtracted from ten equals five.
Take five away from ten and you have five.
Subtract five from ten and you have five.
|
8 × 8 = 48
|
Eight times eight
equals forty-eight.
Eight multiplied by eight equals forty-eight.
Multiply eight by eight and you have forty-eight.
|
90 ÷ 9 = 10
|
Ninety divided by
nine equals ten.
Divide ninety by nine and you have ten.
|
Here are different uses for words common in mathematics.
• add, v.
→ Add two to eight.
→ I added milk to my shopping list.
• plus, prep.
→ Three plus three equals six.
• plus, conj.
→ The flowers are pretty, plus they smell good.
• plus, adj.
→ I got a B-plus on my test.
• plus, n.
→ Living in a city has many pluses.
• subtract, v.
→ Subtract five from nine.
• take away, phrasal verb
→ Take four away from nine and you have five.
• minus, prep.
→ Forty minus thirteen is twenty-three.
• minus, adj.
→ It's minus three degrees outside.
• minus, n.
→ There are both pluses and minuses to living in a big city.
• multiply (by), v.
→ Multiply seven by eight and you get fifty-six.
→ The number of injuries on our football team multiplied
late in the season.
• multiple, adj.
→ Shelly has multiple talents.
• multiply, adv.
→ Shelly is multiply talented.
• times, prep.
→ Six times eight is/equals forty-eight.
• divide (by), v.
→ Six divided by two is three.
• equal, v.
→ Six divided by two equals three.
• equal, adj.
→ A is equal to B.
→ We should all have equal opportunities.
• equal, n.
→ He is such a great chess player, he has no equals.
Quick Notes:
1) Mathematics. This word formed within English and was
first recorded in 1573. It originally was a term for arithmetic, geometry, and
other sciences. Today it means "the science of numbers." For short, in
American English it is called math, while in British English the word is
maths.
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